YREKA – Nature’s Kitchen in Yreka was burglarized during the early morning hours Tuesday. While Yreka Police Department (YPD) officers came close to nabbing the perpetrator with the help of a Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) K9, he/she managed to escape, said YPD Chief Brian Bowles.

Shortly after midnight, YPD dispatch received a report that the burglar alarm was activated at the Bottling Works Mall at 412 South Main Street.

According to Bowles, YPD officers responded to the scene and observed that a window at Nature’s Kitchen was broken and a concrete brick was on the ground next to the window.

Officers established a perimeter around the building and requested assistance from the SCSO K9. The building was determined to be vacant and officers observed that a cash register was missing.

The K9 tracked the burglar’s scent to Yreka Creek where the cash register was discovered. The register had been smashed open, and miscellaneous coins were recovered near it. A small, undisclosed amount of money was taken from the register, said Bowles. No other items were reported missing from the business.

The K9 tracked the burglar’s movement all the way to Miner Street before losing the scent.

Bowles said evidence was processed at the scene and the case is under investigation. The estimated damage has not been determined.

“I would like to remind business owners to empty their cash registers, and leave cash registers open before closing for the night,” said Bowles. “Typically, subjects will steal closed cash registers which are more valuable than the money in them.”

He commented that six months ago, another Yreka business was burglarized and the closed cash register – which was empty – was stolen from the establishment.

Anyone with information about this burglary at Nature’s Kitchen is urged to call the YPD’s Crime Clue Line at 841-2345.